Local municipalities and governments have the authority to pass different ordinances on PEVs, leading to consumer confusion. For example, local municipalities may pass their own ordinances on parking in front of public charging stations. Moreover, local municipalities that use their own signage for PEV charging may confuse consumers. The DOT can help local municipalities and governments by making them aware of other PEV-related activity across the state and offering guidance.

Implement statewide legislation or an agency mandate. Agencies may have jurisdiction over a particular issue, which override all local ordinances. Spotlight: The Virginia EV Readiness plan recommends that the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development mandate the pre-wiring of new homes with the conduits necessary for future installation of electric vehicle charging stations. British Columbia has implemented a similar rule.

Use district DOT offices for outreach if applicable. PEV may be more viable in certain parts of the state, and certain departments within state agencies may wish to focus on statewide transportation instead of a local area. As such, conducting work locally through, for example, the district DOT divisions may be the most effective way of working on PEVs.

Track local best practices and actions through the DOT website. Because the PEV market is evolving quickly, the state DOT should find a way to give updates on best practices. For example, the DOT website can summarize local ordinances and ongoing PEV-related activities.

Get in contact with the DOT’s PEV stakeholder network to obtain best practices on how others have assisted local PEV efforts.

Outcomes

The DOT is a trusted source for PEV information for local governments. Moreover, because of the local guidance, the DOT has established relationships with local governments that can be leveraged for PEV deployment.